Program providers such as multiple system operators, television networks and stations, cable TV operators, satellite TV operators, studios, wireless service providers, and Internet broadcasters/service providers, among others, may require broadband communication systems to deliver programming and like content to consumers/subscribers over networks via digital or analog signals. Such networks and physical plants can be extensive and complex and are typically difficult for an operator to manage and monitor for faults, impairments, and like maintenance and other issues. For instance, the monitoring of network maintenance activities may particularly present problems to operators of extensive cable networks.
By way of example, a cable network may include a headend which is connected to several nodes that may provide access to IP or ISPN networks. The headend typically interfaces with a cable modem termination system (CMTS) which has several receivers with each receiver connecting to numerous nodes each of which connect to numerous network elements, such as modems, MTA (media terminal adaptors), set top boxes, terminal devices, customer premises equipment (CPE) or like devices of subscribers. For instance, a single receiver of the CMTS may connect to several hundred or more network elements. Cable modems may support data connection to the Internet and other computer networks via the cable network, and the cable networks provides bi-directional communication systems in which data can be sent downstream from the headend to a subscriber and upstream from a subscriber to the headend. The cable networks typically includes a variety of cables such as coaxial cables, optical fiber cables, or a Hybrid Fiber/Coaxial (HFC) cable system which interconnect the cable modems of subscribers to the headend in a tree and branch structure where terminal network elements (MTA, cable modem, set top box, etc.) reside on various optical nodes. The nodes may be combined and serviced by common components at the headend.
Typically, the process for tracking which terminal devices are attached to which optical node and the like is a manual process. For instance, as a new customer's services are first enabled, a network operator may identify the specific node or location of the user and enter this information manually into a customer management database. Information of such connections is valuable for resolving physical layer communications issues, performing periodic HFC plant maintenance, and planning future service expansions. However, when the data is inaccurate or incomplete, it can often lead to misdiagnosis of issues, excessive costs associated with maintenance, and prolonged new deployments. In addition, as communication traffic increases or new services are deployed, the need to understand loading of parts of the network becomes important, particularly if existing subscribers must be reallocated to different parts of nodes of the network.
Thus, as discussed above, any kind of topological network location requires the manual entry of information into a database. This can be a fairly time consuming and tedious task. In practice, cable service providers typically solely rely upon customer calls and manual technician analysis to locate issues in their network and physical plants.